The Boys (Rowan Woods, 1997) wr. Stephen Sewell from Gordon Graham's play; prod. Robert Connolly, John Maynard; David Wenham, Toni Collette, John Polson, Lynette Curran, Anthony Hayes, Jeanette Cronin, Anna Lise, Pete Smith; review by Tim Hunter, Cinema Papers, 124, May 1998: 36-37
A very dysfunctional family, and a heinous crime: tough going.
Brett Sprague is a violent and psychopathic man, who is released on parole after serving a sentence for assault. As he returns to his family house and we watch him and his brothers, Stevie and Glenn, for the next 24 hours, it becomes clear this day will not end well.
A chilling film rife with domestic violence features Brett Sprague (David Wenham), a man on parole whose thin veil of humanity becomes evident within hours of moving back in with his girlfriend, two brothers, and mom. Manipulating and intimidating everyone in the household as the mother fails to keep together the family in Brett's wake, the family becomes beset with Brett's omnipotent presence evidenced in the following quote from the end of the film: "We're all gods in our own world". The beginning of the film features eerie piano music from The Necks while showing still images of everyday household objects, illustrating how the ordinary can take on meaning often larger than itself and providing escape for the inhabitants of this household run by a sociopath. IMDb.
Garry Gillard | New: 6 November, 2012 | Now: 2 December, 2019